# Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

3 Hacker News commenters recommended Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as an innovative, well-selling novel that shows experimental writing can reach a wide audience, and as a source of writing guidance.

## Why people recommend it

- Innovative writing that sells (1 comments): "innovative writing sells well. There is room for the Da Vinci Code _and_ Lincoln in the Bardo." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48614806))
- Valued guidance from Saunders (1 comments): "I prefer the guidance of George Saunders (via Lincoln in the Bardo)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48216955))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest.md): 26 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812985400?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780812985405) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders", https://hackerapproved.com/p/lincoln-in-the-bardo/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).